Noah Ringer, a 12-year-old first-time actor from Texas, will take on the lead role as Aang, the Avatar (the spirit of the planet manifested in human form), the last surviving Airbender and a monk of the Air Nomads, a race of people with the unique ability to manipulate the air around them. He is assigned with the task of keeping the Four Nations at peace.

Nicola Peltz has been cast as Sokka’s fourteen-year-old sister Katara. Jessica Jade Andres will play the Earth Kingdom’s rep named Suki and Shaun Toub stars as Uncle Iroh.

Jackson Rathbone (Twilight’s Jasper Hale) plays Aang’s friend Sokka, a warrior of the South Pole’s Southern Water Tribe, a race of people who can control and manipulate water.

Shyamalan’s upcoming movie is based on the hit Nickelodeon cartoon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” “Avatar” is being dropped from the title in favor of just “The Last Airbender” so as to avoid the confusion with James Cameron’s movie “Avatar.”

The story follows the adventures of Aang (Noah Ringer), a ten year old ‘Airbender’ who has the ability to control wind. Aang is also the successor to a long line of Avatars – physical incarnations of the world itself who are capable of manipulating all four elements. Aang must put his childhood ways aside and battle to stop the Firebenders from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. As he does, he is pursued by the banished evil Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko (Dev Patel), who plans to regain his lost honor by capturing the last Airbender.

The story is expected to unfold as a trilogy and is already being touted as Paramount’s answer to epic franchises like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. The first one hitting theaters on July 2nd, 2010.

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Comments (88)

This cast is a mess. Aang and Zuko are supposed to be pale East-Asians. Sokka and Katara are supposed to be dark-skinned Inuits/Native Americans. They should match the real-world cultures that their different peoples in the Avatar world are based on.

It seems like no one is happy unless the live action version is exactly like the animated series. I for one plan to withhold judgment until I see the completed film, trusting in the director’s talent and vision to produce something that may not be identical to the original, but retain elements that will enchant us as the original series did.

Do you really want and exact adaptation of a tv series into film? Lets be realistic not everybody is Asian. And for the fire nation being indian…..well M. Night has to work himself into the film some way.

Odegaard , I thought like you for The Golden Compass and Eragon and they failed us. This movie seems on the exact same track. You can only withhold judgment so long before you realize that some people just don’t care about the original material. The casting is a disaster. This means the movie will be a disaster. If I can’t see the screen and believe in these characters, the entire thing falls apart. I doubt this will be a full trilogy, because the dissapointment will be so severe a sequel will never get made. Just like the Golden Compass and Eragon. Count on it.

really? believe in characters flipping around throwing elements at each other? enlighten me on how thats supposed to be believeable..and on another note…the dragon ball movie failed because it was just a bad movie..not because of the cast…it had terrible writers terrible special effects and terrible acting…this movie however has inustrial light and majic doing the special effects..james newton howard doing to music and mike and bryan wrote the screen play with shyamalan! and people saying that dont support the movie are retarded…they only said that they have nothing to do with the cast…that doesnt mean they dont support the film or the cast..theyre just saying they have nothing to do with that department….and i actually though golden compass was pretty good……..

feh, That’s sad. I rather liked The Golden Compass and Eragon. Of course, I never read the books, so I had no expectations. I think saying that those making the movie “just don’t care” is harsh. They are trying to make the best movie they can. And the director has his own “vision” to add, with which people may or may not agree. It seems, based on what you are saying, that in the future no one will make movies of popular books, series, etc, because of the expectation of the fan base of said books, series, etc. So sad. Why does “different” have to be “wrong.” It not YOUR Airbender, after all.

i tink that the matche for sokka is good since him and jackson rathbone hav the same sort of face structure. they could have found someone better for anng and katara if they looked hard enuf, but zuko is a dissapointment he was supposed to be the super hottie of the whole thing but they got dev patel who doesnt even look like him they shhud hav gotten noah hunt to play zuko.

I agree, the casting in this is horrible, it’s an abomination. I don’t think its terrible to want exact replication of a cartoon, especially when the cartoon is a reflection of the real world. In the cartoon their are people that represent different cultures, like a previous person said. In the real world, those cultures still exist, so why not cast people who represent that culture? I mean, come on Dev Patel as Zukko ? The cartoon is based off of Asian influences, and those that are indian influences were represented by indian persons in the cartoon, why not apply that to the movie? I love the series and probably wont watch this movie. It already seems like another DBZ.

In my opinion this movie looks like it will be amazing and interesting to watch. I know that the creators of the show had a huge part in finding the cast that have the talent and availability for this movie adaption.To those that are upset with the choices being made remember the extensive work and screening that the director,producer and THE REST OF THE FILM CREW go through just to bring an amazing story to life. Many races of people will be in this film and the story of Aang in many ways reflect the reality of our own world where people are so divided by differences. The core of the story is about a boy with great mystical powers gradually evolving those powers to keep the four nations at peace.In this real world we may never have absolute peace but in this movie which is a fantasy world it will be so fun and cool to take a break from it all. At Airya and Matt_m,this movie is in no way comparable to that Dragonball movie trust me.

Considering that the filming of this movie has already ended and that it’s undergoing post production, I think that M. Night along with Avatar co-creators will agree upon what is best. Chances are that in the video editing, many things mentioned here would be addressed, and if not, it was with the proper consentment of all parties involved. If it went out like this, then it was greenlit not only by M. Night, but by Michael and Bryan. If it’s good for them being the creators of the universe, it should be good for us that support them and their creation. Just my 2 cents.

As I’ve read all these comments, I’ve noticed that the main concern is the cast and I definitely feel the same way. I tend to be more so one of those people who like to see movies that are based off a tv-series or book and see that the movie follows through to the best of its nature. In terms of casting, I am extremely disappointed. This should have been a predominately Asian cast and it makes me wonder: What is the matter with having such a cast? I saw that a few people had mentioned that the creators had to have a hand in this movie, and of course they did, but I don’t see the influence that much. M Night Shyamalan and the producer have more say than most people think than the creators of the television series. I’m saddened to see that his said vision has, in my opinion, tarnished such recognizable characters that people have grown to admire and love. Even though there is nothing that obviously can be done considering the stage that it is in I can more than likely see this movie being pelted by critics in a less than favorable manner. Unless the story does truly sweep the audience away, and our focus moves from how the characters look to what the tale is all about which is that of the travels of Aang, Katara and Sokka, then who knows? Possibly the trilogy will continue. I still just wish they had been more sensitive about the looks of the characters, and pray that they GENERALLY keep to the storyline. I am aware that Shyamalan plans on playing around with the plot to not make it so utterly identical to the series.

Must they ALWAYS make the main character a white person? Same thing with the Dragonball movie… Goku was a freakin’ WHITE boy. And then they’re making a Prince of Persia movie (based on the game) and they’re making the prince Caucasian. I’m not racist, bust the whole casting is very upsetting to me. I wish they could have looked harder.

Usually I would say the casting is fine as far as the whole “race” business goes, however considering the rather obvious real world counterparts to each nation, I think the film may end up feeling like it’s missing something. Just in case you aren’t aware of what I’m thinking, here’s my race theory:

The Fire Nation clearly represents China. It’s in love with the color red, everyone’s afraid of it, and it’s a powerful nation that invaded a land full of peace loving monks [Air Nomads].

The Air Nomads would be the Tibetan monks. Fire Nation [Chinese] invasion, monks, etc.

Water Tribes are clearly Inuit. Duh. I’m not going into detail for this one.

I’m guessing Earth Kingdom represents the US and Europe. It’s just a massive land with a huge mish-mash of races and cultures and a clearly defined social hierarchy.

So yeah, without those parallels, I don’t think the social statements will really come through. Then again, it’s a franchise meant for children, so maybe no one will notice…

i agree noah hunt should have played zuko i think Mr. night S ( director ) casted indian actors because he is indian which sucks because this movie “HAD” the ability to be epic until paramount and nikelodeon picked mr. night S to direct and produce. Peter jackson should have been chosen to do that i mean look what he did with KING KONG … well we will just have to wait and see btw megan fox is hotttt

I am 36 with no children and my wife and I have fallen in love with this series. As I assume many of you are younger viewers I was hoping to be the “adult fan” voice of reason. However, I like many of you have been taken back by the casting of this film. First, I will address Aang. For the most part, I think Noah Ringer looks spot on to Aang in the animated series and have no issues with this casting choice. Let’s just hope that he has some real acting talent and we’re not left to rely on his martial arts training to pull him through the movie. As for Sokka & Katara, I also feel that there was a missed opportunity for the director to identify unknown talent of Inuit/eskimo descent to be debuted in the upcoming movie. Finally, on Zuko I have 2 schools of thought. First, I agree with the masses that the Fire Nation represented a predominantly Chinese race of people and the casting of such an important character and nation should have reflected more from the animated series. HOWEVER, if Night S. was going to exercise his creative liberties by casting a south asian (Indian) actor in the role of Zuko, then for Pete’s sake can he at least show some consistency by casting additional south asians for the entire Fire Nation cast? I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but am (like most of you) initially disappointed with some of these choices. And I agree with Lman007, Peter Jackson has proven that he’s not just a “one trick pony” and would have been a great choice to direct this trilogy.

OMG!!!!!!!! They messed up on casting BIG TIME!!!! Jackson Rathbone is ok, but Aang looks chubby(at least to me:D), Katara’s hair loops are almost GONE plus her mom’s necklace is totally out of view and Dev Patel as Zuko is disgraceful:(…………..but I’m still going to see the movie:D

YOu know what? A lot of you sound like how the bloggers reacted to Hugh Jackman playing wolverine in the first X-Man movie. YOu know what- because of his STRONG performance as Logan, can you see anybody else stepping in to play him? NO. So shut your pie holes and wait till the movie comes out. I’m sure the casted not by looks alone. They have to be able to do something besides stand and look pretty. Noah Ringer is i believe actually 12 (the same age he is in the series except chronologically aang is 112)-the boy is a martial artist- he’s doing his stunts-no one has to stand in for him. I know an asian actor could’ve done the same but I like the fact he’s unknown. Let’s just wait till the movie comes out. You people get your panties in a bunch too much sometimes.
Sheesh.

lol, all im gonna say is; they better smile a bit more than they do in the photos. therye not ment to look that grumpy for ages!
itll be intresting to see how jackson rathbone performes, having only seen him in the twilight siries.. again , in the photo he IS pulling a bit of a ‘Jasper’ face. hahah.
is it just me, or does noah look slightly tubby in the photo? like his chest is puffed out? not a good look. curiuos to see his acting.
anyone know of a rough date for this film? and have the really finished filming? that sounds unlikly to me.
anyway, ye, ‘intresting’ will be the word to describe this film.

has anyone bothered to do research on this film? i doubt it. if anyone bothered to pay attention then you would know that the creators of avatar are working with the directors of this with full power from nickelodeon themselves of veto of ideas. so if the actors picked for the roles are not up to your liking, blame the creators of the show, not M. Night. as for not choosing Asians, ITS AN AMERICAN SHOW, CREATED BY AMERICANS, while yes it is INFLUENCED by anime, its is a fully made in the usa show. so in total, if the movie sucks, its not because of just the director, but the creators.

ppl have there own opnions and such, thats jus how the world is,but seriously tho, ppl that want every little thing to b perfect in the movie jus so that they can see the serious in real life. thats jus a waste of money. that jus wants everything in the movie jus like the main series, jus dont buy the ticket and instead use the money on the Avatar: TLA dvd and forget about the movie. but if u really lik avatar alot then watch it for your interest dnt care about wat other ppl say its wat u want.

Really? people are actually naive to think this will turn out like dragonball? This movie has way better talent (regardless of race) and a better budget not to mention a pretty good production crew. Seriously, they are going to get mad about the race of cast members in a movie that’s based on a cartoon created by two white Americans, who got the concept of “avatar” which is from Hinduism, and is produced in Korea by mostly Korean artists as well as a martial arts consultant who is God knows what(not Asian) and whose main character looks more white than any other character. Not to mention a voice cast predominantly of white people and a couple of Asians. The story us about obtaining peace, race should be the last thing on peoples minds. Saying that they should only be Asian or more specifically Chinese. is like saying black people should be the only ones
playing jazz or rapping.

Everyone criticizing fans for being upset have no clue about the series, probably have not seen all of it or are just plain stupid. I, like millions of others have fallen in love with the story, characters and universe that Mike and Bryan created. As for those who believe they had major control over the casting or creative choices, they did not.. it was very limited. I believe given how much care they put into the original series, they would not have allowed the casting choices if they had that much control. On the other hand, M. Night negotiated for complete creative control over the script. He has publicly said he is “grounding” Sokka (making him less funny) and will surely add his signature dreadful death and darkness gloom to the story. I feel badly for Mike and Bryan for this but that’s what happens when corporate interests are involved. Make no mistake .. this interference is all about box office sales and M. Night’s ego. Such a shame because this story is truly epic, heartwarming, spiritual and inspiring and could have surpassed Star Wars if it were done faithfully.

The majority of the audience for this film will be fans of the TV series, and almost everyone I know who watches it is disappointed by the casting, and some are afraid that if they watch the movie, it will ruin the TV show for them.
I know race issues are a delicate topic, but the casting really is all wrong, and for a story with such blatant north-east asian influences, the race of the characters will create something of a cultural clash.
The culture of each nation is based on a corresponding nation in the real world, as someone already stated; Europe and Western culture for the Earth Kingdom, China as the Fire Nation, Tibet for the Air Nomads (or maybe just Buddhist ideals, in which case an Indian Aang would be passable) and the Native Americans/Inuit people for the Water tribes (though the Southern Tribe have been relocated to Antarctica/Australia, and in part reflect traditional Indigenous Australian culture, such as Sokka’s boomerang).
The parallels between the world of Avatar and our world are sundered apart through this movie’s casting, and I have a feeling the movie will just be ‘not quite right’.
Sorry for wall of text :P

I’m asian, and really sort of disappointed with casting. But I guess what they want to happen is somethin’ really bigger than that. Still hopin’ for the best though, I’m gonna watch this. I’m a huge fan!

If they’re gonna whitewash the characters, why not just get the original voice actors? That way we will all hear the voice we all love to laugh at- Sokka’s. Lol. And everybody else’s voice is awesome as well.
Not that I support whitewashing the characters… I personally felt obligated to sink my fist into something hard when I heard about that.

I think that they could have changed the cast but it is hard to find good actors Dev Pattel is a great actor idk if he is right for Zuko but I trust M Night and the creators in making good descosions im going to see the movie and i hope that all the fans of the series will see it to not wanting to see it just all the actors arnt asain is just stupid i mean Eddie Murphey is susposed to play the riddler in the next Derk knight and the origional riddler was white but i dont care that eddie murphey is black he is one of my fav actors so im just sayin you shouldn’t not see a movie just cuz u dont like the cast and i personally hope and think everybody will do a great job in the movie i just cant wait to see toph in the next movie.

“I think that they could have changed the cast but it is hard to find good actors Dev Pattel is a great actor idk if he is right for Zuko but I trust M Night and the creators in making good descosions im going to see the movie and i hope that all the fans of the series will see it to not wanting to see it just all the actors arnt asain is just stupid i mean Eddie Murphey is susposed to play the riddler in the next Derk knight and the origional riddler was white but i dont care that eddie murphey is black he is one of my fav actors so im just sayin you shouldn’t not see a movie just cuz u dont like the cast and i personally hope and think everybody will do a great job in the movie i just cant wait to see toph in the next movie.”
Exactly

Prince Zuko was SUPPOSE to be HOT! wtf m.night shimladick! YOU SUCK! EVERYTHING about this movie seems HEINOUS! M.nighshimladick is just going to completely turn one of the BEST stories and shows of all time to CRAP!!!!

well, to be fair the whole fire nation does appear to be indian, so at least he stuck with one race to do it. i’m not gonna like, i kinda think he did it cuz he’s indian, but i guess i might too….katara’s fine, i think she actually kinda looks like her a bit, i think the actress is hispanic, but jasper hale? really? he sucks as jasper, and he’s a white guy tryin to be inuit….i thought aang was asian when i first saw the preview, so i guess he’s ok, since he kinda looks like the cartoon…i thought it’d be cool to see kickass chinese martial artists as the fire nation….but i guess not

I have one thing to say nobody knows how this movie is going to be untile it comes out. everybody says the dont like the cast but the guy that wrote the seires is directing this movie so I think he knows what to look for in the cast and must be able to act the part. people say the kid playing aang dosent look the part but people dont realize how hard it would be to find a person that looks like a bald cartoon caricter. All kids look funny bald it dosent mean he cant play the part. I think Zukko kinda looks the part but they could have done a little better on his scar. kitara is fine and sokka is fine. It dosent say in the seires that the fire nation is asia there fire nation.there not asia,mexican,or anything they are 4 diffrent nations not races. Every body needs to chill out and let the people do there job.If everybody was true Avatar fans there races wouldent matter. Thats all Im going to say Im starting to get mad. EVERYBODY IS A FUCKIN CRITIC!!!!!

avatar is based on an asian fantasy world. as you can all see clearly on the series they are all asians.. they should’ve just made an avatar cartoon movie, a follow up on the last three books.. i wanna know what happend to zuko’s mom and the air nomads.. and “O’Malley” where not saying that fire nation people are chinese, where just saying they should look like them.. why did they made zuko an indian? or sokka and kitara caucasians.. how would they feel if someone made a high budget movie of the justice league where all of them are asians.. :)

You cant find people that look like cartoons. Some of them look like they are different races yes, but some of them look caucasian too. But there race dosnt matter Its there acting skills that landed them the part. They probobly did have people that looked just like kitara or Zukko but couldent act there way out of a papper bag. The cast got the part for a reason and anyone knows you cant get by in hollywood on your looks alone. They might not look like the cartoon caricters but I think they are close enough. You have to keep it in mind that they are making a movie out of a cartoon and it would be next to impossible to find people that look and act the part buy there dead line while keeping within there budget for finding acters. And like you said Its a high budget movie would you rather have people that look the part and act for shit or people that dont really look the part but can act the caracters part as if they were that person? Most of the movies budget is going towrds special efects and bilding props. they dont have the money or time the serch the globe for people that look the part and can act too. They just have to work with what the got. With all that aside I think its going to be a great movie and I cant wait till it comes out….

I agree with u omalley I dont think they have to look just like the caracters in the sieres as long as the can act like them. But I do think that zuko should have his pony tail that is a key part in the fire nation royalty. Wouldent U agree??? But U do Make a couple of good points and the best one is true everybody is a fucken critic!!!!! since everybody Knows so much about directing a move mybe they should go to hollywood and see if the can do better. I know the movie isent going to be just like the sieres, it would be 4 or 5 hours or longer. They wouldent be able to put it on the big screen.

no one is saying they should look like cartoons … all im saying is that they should have casted asians because thier cartoon counterparts are asians. ok fine let me ask, is it ok for you if someone casted an asian actor who can act as clark kent for the superman movies?? i think a lot of people will not like it. superman fans will be outraged.. same with me and some other fans of avatar, they don’t like the movie because the characters does’nt look the part, even though the movie seems high budgeted and the actors are great. and another thing a great movie isn’t just about having great special effects and having great props it should have the total package like for example…….A GOOD CASTING!!

Who’s to say its not a good cast knowbody has seen anything other than picturs of the cast you dont know how well they are going to play the parts. And why does the race of the cast matter so much. Most of the caracters in the show dont look asian the only reason people think they are asian is because of the chinese writing and traditions and martial arts, which is a styerotype. Thats saying that because the show is based on martal arts and chinese mythology that chinese people are the only people that can play the parts. Race should have nothing to do with the cast, The cast was chosen because out of all the people that auditioned they were best suited for the job. And what the hell does supperman have to do with avatar? Supperman is white because thats supperman avatar is casted the way it is because thats the way it is in the show. some of the caracters in the show look asian and some look white like Iroh, the fire lord and admiral Zhoa. Do you think they look asian in the show? What about King Boomie or the Earth King? Was there ever a part in the sieries were the fire nation said “Hey were chinese” I think not. The mythology in the show comes from the Tibeten monks Like the Dolli Lama which is an avatar. An Avatar is a devine spirit reencarnated in human form so really the story is not based on the 3 nations being chinese its based on the Air Nomads being monks and the other nations being a combination of culture. The Air Nomads are the ones that have to be just like the Monks and I think they piked the pefect person to play as Aang Noah Ringger does look like a monk he’s perfact,the air nomads are really the only people in the show that has to be oriental. I think he does
looks a little funny bald but what kid dosent. Im just saying wait till the movie comes out befor you critisize it and the cast I really dont think they are going to let this move bombshell. HAVE A LITTLE FAITH PEOPLE……….

i’m sry but i agree with O’Malley everyone is judging these actors based on their ethnicity and not on their actual acting ability, are you guys serious?! i LOVE the original just like everyone else but i’d rather the actors act amazing, then look exactly like the original and suck balls acting. and some person named feh said that this is gonna be just like Eragon and The Golden Compass, but i read the books and the casting was ON POINT! but the story and some of the actors were horrible. so just wait till it comes out to judge it, or even wait till a more developed trailer comes out to even start tearing the movie apart.

I couldnt have said it better my self. Everybody is judgeing this movie by the race of the acters other than there acting and they are so qwick to judge. I think this move is going to be a good one we will just have to wait and see…Thanks for backing me up on that. At least one person here dosent judge a book by its cover or movie by its trailer I should say…

u guys don’t know anything about the world!! i agree with nora. the characters should’ve been more oriental, asian looking, and i get what she says about the superman thing, and OMG iroh, zhao,are white? shut up u don’t know what u guys are talking about. u guys are so fucking stupid and blind hahaha! i hate the casting but i will still watch the show though.. nora,, yup they need a good casting! hahaha!

I dont know what kind of world U live in but I live in a world of mixed races and its the same thing in the show they even have a few red necks in the show. And u say Im blind your the one that cant see past the races of the acters, are U a fucken racest or something? Do you think that only asians can be martal artists? Alot of kids are going to watch this movie they mix the races to relate to a more realistic world for the kids U f* dumb ass.

haha cool down…. stupid…. yah fine avatar is based on ancient times where they use ancient asian martial arts, asian caligraphy, asian myth, asian structure for buildings, asian style art for making wanted posters, asian names, and asian city and island names, if not asian at least the culture of those people with ethnic beauty, wohooo i’m stereotyping, yeah right…. why is it that everytime someone says they don’t like this movie they call them racist, and clearly your BLIND or just don’t know anything about other country, ther are red necks also in asia!!

Ok, I can tell you this right now, the last Last Airbender is going to be a disaster. First of all,they got the characters all wrong, in so many ways.I agree with lenny67, you clearly are blind. And how are they going to pull off the whole Aang-Katara relationship with those kind of actors? M. Night S. should have stuck with animation that would have covered up a lot of the huge mistakes he’s making by doing live action. This is going down the same way as the trainwreck that was Eragon. Yeah, I read the books, and that movie was the worst movie in the history of the worst movies ever made. M. Night S. is going to crash and burn.

Being an actor myself, i believe that race doesnt play a big part in this movie. I once had to play a gay white pediatrician who lived the life of an ivy league student( im black by the way). I am a big fan ofthe avatar series and feel that this movie will be a come back for m night; i mean look at his circumstances, the man has been falling down an everlasting slope and has been getting criticized on every little move he makes. I think that he is going to do avatar the justice it deserve; i cant wait to see this film and the acting and wont truly judge this movie till i see the full trailer. And i think nickelodeon wont let there best show fail miserbaly in the box office and to its fans

There was a 12 year old Vietnamese kid who had the skills to perform what Ang did in the series. It was recorded and uploaded onto you tube. I’m disappointed that kid didn’t get the roll even though he auditioned for it and practiced wu shu for many years.

The trailer it self disappointed me, they covered Ang’s face with his little hoodie like clothing and he looked as if he did offensive training which would give anyone who doesn’t know about Avatar the thought he might play as someone evil. Through out the series Ang air bended for defense and was a cheerful character. Not in this trailer :(

I know that the skills in acting for the film is very important but resembling important physical features of that character are also very important.

Prince Zuko had a light skin tone and a incredibly bad scar his father put on the left side of his face. It was immediately noticeable because it stood out so much and left viewers thinking
“how did he get that terrible scar and what was the reason behind it” I’m pretty sure this and Zuko’s missing mother were some of the extra things that kept viewers interested in the Avatar series. Even AFTER the series ended it left us asking
“where exactly is Zuko’s mother?”
As for this movie someone with a darker skin tone was put for this roll. It just doesn’t stand out enough.

somebody really needs to fire the casting director… as much as i love the show, seeing the trailer for the movie completely turned me off. why cant SOMEBODY… ONE PERSON… get a live action movie right? why? its like they want to be failures…

Not all of the characters are asian. In fact, Aang looks whiter than I am…and I’m Irish. I am mostly upset by the age difference; Aang is supposed to be twelve, and Zuko and Katara around seventeen, by the look of it. She is SOOO not fourteen in the cartoon! Sokka is only a bit older than her. Aang and Katara look about eight, and Zuko looks forty! He’s supposed to be hot!!! And where is sokka’s ponytail? It’s a major character piece!

that’s hollywood for ya. Dev Patel is a good actor i admit but we’ll see how good he is in channeling Zuko’s range. But yeah, indian? Chinese maybe…I think Aang’s tattoos are cool, it adds a different twist. Jackson Rathbone was sorta held in the shadows in the twilight series but i’ve seen his other projects and he’s really good, i hope he doesn’t fail Sokka’s sarcastic and silly humor.

I just saw the new trailer and it looks like its going to be a bad ass movie the efects look pritty good. I dont care if the acters dont look the part I dont judge anything befor I see it like almost everybody else. Everybody is saying this move is going to suck because they dont like the cast. If U dont like the cast and think the movie is going to suck, dont watch it and stop bitching about it.every body is so fast to judge like they can see the future or something. Im a big AVATAR fan I dont care who plays the parts as long as it follows the storyline. I saw an interveiw with shyamalan and he really likes the show I dont think he will fuck this movie up. The new trailer looked very cool I cant wait till it hits the theaters.

These people are the worst people they could have chosen for the cast. Aang looks borring. Emmett is Sokka? Scary. Slumdog kid is Zuko? And that little girl looks to prissy to play Katara. I mean, they didn’t even try to go along with the way the characters are supposed to look, so expect the acting to reek.

hi,, just want to say something to those who are not happy of the cast and the way the film was made…. here’s the question for you guys….,,, can you do a film exactly the way you want it to be? like hell,,!!! you don’t even have the skill i bet!!!! so better shut up, if you do not have something to say ,, you are not a professional critic… so better keep your lame ideas to yourself!!!…… i love avatar and hope to see it in the big screen soon… love you all( avatar cast)
p.s. you should have tried to audition and we’ll see if you even get the chance to be an EXTRA on the movie…. EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW…… (for the acting critics out there!!!!)

okay. i have to agree with the majority of you about the casting issue. my sister agreed as well. however, just because the casting is off doesnt mean the movie will crash and burn. yea Katara should be older, and much darker, so on and so forth. but i dont think that alone should ruin the movie for you all. i get very critical too when they turn books into movies but you need to keep your minds open everyone. dont shoot it down for one or two things, even if theyre big things. we all know movies are never like their originals (book or series) so why is everyone surprised? everyone just calm down and lets see what happens when the movie is released. the only thing i hope for is phenomenal special effects, great martial arts from noah, and just pray they just stick to the basic story. and remember, when it does come out, the storyline will miss detail. try not to let that get to you too. so lets just wait and see.

i really am an avatar fan just make sure their faces are as cute as the original ones! break a leg aang!….
and also im in favor of that jj up there! why dont you
“critics” just watch the movie and see…how dare you say that to my favorite show or movie…

Zuko is not supposed to be hot. Zuko is an animated character with a past that has burned him (literally) and made him suffer.
THEREFORE! Zuko is a scarred, bitter, and angry teenager trying to find his way to honor.

Jesus Christ, people. The creators of Avatar are working with the director and overseeing everything, and it’s THEIR show. So shut up and suck it up.

I hope Jackson Rathbone can pull off Sokka too. I did a bit of research on him and I found out that he’s done some band/musical time and he looks really goofy.

Everyone who is comparing Rathbone’s work in Twilight as Jasper Hale can suck it. Being an actor means you create a different person everytime you do a new project. Sokka and Jasper are complete opposites, true, and if Rathbone can pull this off then I’ll be an even bigger fan of his.

GUYZZZZ!!!im from Philippines…and i dnt think if we should debate the cast of the movie..bcz its juxt a movie,but in the story still the cast is the cast..but for me…only the story is cool!!!awesome!!!
aang is the best!!!

guyxxx its only a movie….this movie is only to serve and deliver the coolness of the story.so why is that you should point and debate the cast of the movie?if you think its not cool(the cast)then make your own movie which will really based on a real story!!!even thou i am from Asian.Still i don’t mind to talk and fight with the cast of this movie!!!the important is that we enjoy the effect of the movie,then if you don’t enjoy it..make your own movie guyxxx…!!!!then read my comments!lets see if you will enjoy it!!

YES, the casting is disgraceful. Doesn’t everyone see that it goes far beyond simply wanting the appearance of asian actors? It is based upon a series that is strictly based upon ASIAN CULTURE, NOT European. You CANNOT have a film give the right feel and heart, (which is a huge part of the story!) Without having the right actors to portray that. (think the horrendous Star Wars second installment)
Yes, it is offensive. Yes it is disgraceful.
No, the creators DID NOT have a big part in the filming process, they SHOULD have. M Night is Not the right director for a story like this.
The only Indian in the story is the Guru. Watch, he’ll be Chinese when the ones that are SUPPOSED to be in the story (fire nation) are cast as Indian in the film! Hello! That’s so wrong.
I’ve seen some comment that the in the animated series the main characters appear white. This is not true. They are definitely not white. The only reason they are wide eyed is to be more expressive in animating. Asian animators have done this for decades. And if you pay attention, there are MANY characters in the series that have ‘asian eyes’ and such anyhow. It has always been understood that Avatar is Asian. Many of the voicings are done by asian people in the series. Their names are asian, their clothes, the music, etc. It’s obvious.
Aang is supposed to be a slender, cute spirited 12 year old Asian. (tibetan monk)
But in the film he is an unattractive, chubby,miserable looking white Texan (?!)child.
Sokka and Katara are inuit, dark skinned, dark hair, not white blondes. (they have blue eyes in the series simply because the water tribe has blue eyes, not to imply whiteness.)
I have information that M Night is taking the humour out of the story.
Which also was a touching and important part of it. It’s not supposed to be all serious gloom and doom.
Tell me, who does martial arts overwhelmingly? East Asians. So, naturally, they would be right for the live action as well surely! But no, they are white.
If you think that the series was not obviously asian, or that the cast for the film remotely resemble the characters then you have an extremely warped persception. And at least one of the actors in the film has arrogantly and moronically admitted that ‘all he needs is a tan’. Give me a break. That attitude says it all right there.
This whole thing is very upsetting and should not have been allowed, period.
My 8 year old and myself, along with countless others are very upset after seeing how they are attempting to butcher the beautiful, moving, and beloved Avatar.

You guys are all missing one serious point: Most people want to watch actors who look like them. Period.

It’s really that simple.

Disregard the racist undertones (which I disagree with) or the lack of respect for Asian culture.

There are so many goddamn things that can ruin a good movie. Everything must be accounted for. And since 80% of America is white, that’s how the movie went.

It’s also why so many movies across time have white actors in lead roles . . . where they probably shouldn’t have been. I doubt any one of you will not see the movie because of the casting. Because you guys are hardcore fans and love the show . . . so you’ll see the movie. But what about the people who aren’t diehard fans? The people who are “eh, don’t really care” about the movie? Like a nice percentage of the moviegoers will be? Those are the people that need to be most considered while casting.

It seems you guys are expecting martyrdom in the place of money. People don’t act, star, produce, and direct movies that aren’t going to make them any money. And the way to get money from making a movie is to have people see it.

It’s simple. So stop whining about the fact that the characters are supposed to be Asian (though most things in the show – aside from the characters’ names – don’t necessary point to anything specifically Asian) and realize that it’s a proven fact that people like watching people who look like them and that is why the movie was cast as it was.

Aside from the racial bigotry of the cast directors and, of course, of M. Night Shyamalan, the film it self went to complete shit the moment Mr. Shyamalan had it in his petty mind. I know for a fact that the co-creators of the original animated series had no say in who was chosen for which role as they’ve reported if the film where up to them it would of gone in a very different direction. One of those, I assume, would be arranging for a talented cast and a well-written script. None of which Mr. Shyamalan bothered to include.

First of all, the film was like a third-rate Disney film void of any imagination as it cut straight into the heart of the characters and their personality. It neither focused on the story-line nor the development of the characters, something that for me is very unforgivable since part of my enjoyment came from the original series devotion to showing the inner workings and turmoil of its main cast. It was disappointing that I felt like Mr. Shyamalan had skipped through the series only to focus on “plot turning” events. Everything felt extremely rushed and sloppy. In fact, everything important was either narrated or briefly shown!

Book 1 of the series, at least for me, was my favorite season… and now it has been degraded to a sloppy mixture of flashy special effects and last minute 3D graphics in hopes of aspiring film-goers to view this forsaken, laughable, and simply pitiable rendition of one of the most thought-provoking American-made animated series out there. Avatar: The Last Airbender deserved more, and like others, I do not expect a sequel.

A quick note on the cast; Nicola Peltz should stick to Broadway or school plays and Noah Ringer needs to remain obscure… just my opinion.

you guys keep on complaining about the movie.
if you got disappointed, ok..
we do not care..
we just have to be happy and proud that they made a live action of the animated one.
also, for the lots of effort that m. shyamalan had given.